The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Eli Matchett

It all sounds really dramatic, but the case of the week for The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 3 was kind of a bust. Even with some of the action scenes and an intense score trying and crank things up, the main focus of the episode hardly seemed worth caring about.

Ultimately, it was all a means to get Red to sit down with one of the cabal’s members so she could deliver a message from him to the Director.

Sure, the episode did find a decent way to allow all the characters to be involved in the case, even if Red, Liz, Ressler and the FBI aren’t working together anymore.

And I continue to appreciate seeing Ressler out in the field, getting into the action with whatever bad guy he comes across while also continuing to try and bring Liz in. He’s determined, that’s for sure.

Though, it was a surprise that Tom coming to Ressler on The Blacklist Season 3 Episode 2 pretty much went nowhere. I was hoping for a team-up between the two, but Ressler was having none of that.

I almost thought that Harold would convince Ressler at the end of the hour, but even that didn’t make him budge.

So it was pretty cool to see Harold be the one to sit down at Tom’s table, call him out on everything, and then ask him to help out with that Karakurt file. I was worried that Harold’s involvement this season would get pushed to the back, but him sort of as Tom’s handler could get really interesting.

That whole moment was probably the most exciting part of the hour.

But I am curious how long Red and Liz will be on the run. Clearly, Red is set on exonerating Liz and taking on the cabal/the Director.

Surely Liz will eventually be back on the side of the FBI and the good guys, but so far, the course of events are really trying to make it seem like Liz’s has passed the point of no return. Yes, she shot Tom Connelly, but he was a bad guy. And sure, she shot that undercover cop, but she didn’t do it without remorse. She wanted to make sure he would be OK after the fact.

So as much as Red talks about Liz being in his world and Liz feeling that all these bad things are happening, I find it hard to believe that Liz could become some sort of dark character.

The whole fugitive game is fun, but I’m not buying Liz transforming into this hardened criminal on the run.

As for the cabal, I have no doubt that Red will find a masterful way to take it to the group even further. But with Dembe getting tortured and still locked up, the cabal may have just enough leverage to keep Red at bay.

Because while Tom would do anything for Liz (and I guess Red probably would too), Red would do anything to save Dembe, right?

I am glad that Liz and Red running from the FBI story isn't wrapping up, and bringing Tom into the fold is a nice addition (even if it was bound to happen), but this episode was far less engaging than The Blacklist Season 3's first two episodes and I'm just ready to move on to what's next.

Did you enjoy the case involving the trade secrets? Will Red rescue Dembe? Sound off below, and be sure to get in on the action when you watch The Blacklist online at TV Fanatic.